{"id":1706,"date":"2026-09-24T19:21:33","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T19:21:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8888\/?p=1706"},"modified":"2026-09-24T19:21:33","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T19:21:33","slug":"energy-performance-certificate-selling-a-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/immoerfolgssteigerer.de\/en\/energy-performance-certificate-selling-a-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Energy performance certificate when selling a house: What to clarify before listing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Illustrative image, created with AI.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photos, floor plans and an asking price are often the first things on the list when selling a house. Add the energy performance certificate early. Before listing the property, check whether you have a valid certificate, whether it applies to the building and which details you need to take from it. That leaves time to obtain any missing documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check the certificate you have<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First, look through your property documents for the complete energy performance certificate. Check the address, date of issue and validity. Certificates are generally issued for ten years. If certain changes to the building require a new certificate, the old one expires sooner. Not every modernization automatically requires a new certificate. Source: section 79 GModG<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An energy performance certificate generally describes the building, not just an individual apartment. For a condominium apartment, the property manager is therefore a sensible first point of contact. If you only have a photograph of one page, ask for the full document. You can then review the type of certificate, its figures and its explanations together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The law contains exceptions for small buildings and listed monuments. Do not assume an exception applies simply because of your home’s age or the name commonly used for it. Have someone check whether the conditions apply to the particular building. Source: section 79(4) GModG<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calculated demand or actual consumption: What does the certificate show?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A demand-based certificate uses a calculation of the building’s energy characteristics. A consumption-based certificate evaluates recorded consumption data and adjusts it for factors including weather. The two methods therefore use different foundations. Sources: section 81 GModG<\/a> and section 82 GModG<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You cannot always choose the type of certificate freely. A demand-based certificate is generally required for residential buildings with fewer than five apartments where the building application was submitted before 1 November 1977. An exception applies if the building met at least the relevant 1977 thermal insulation standard when it was completed or after later alterations. Have its classification checked against your documents. Source: section 80(3) GModG<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use the certificate as a guide to the building’s energy performance. It is not a promise of what a buyer will spend on heating in the future. Discuss unusual figures and unknown details with the qualified person who issued it, rather than converting a single figure into a euro amount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which documents help when obtaining a certificate?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Start by asking for a document list tailored to your building and the type of certificate. The following information may be especially useful in preparing it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n